Check strap



July 28, 1942. M. c. HOWARTH CHECK STRAP Filed July 1, 1941 Patented July 28, 1942 CHECK STRAP Mark C. Howarth, Worcester, Mass.,.assignor to Graton & Knight Company, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 1, 1941, Serial No. 400,634

2 Claims.

My present invention is a novel and improved check strap for use on looms, and includes a novel method of manufacturing the same.

The severe use to which check straps are subjected, particularly in the present high-speedlooms, results in rapid wear and, consequently, ordinary leather check straps are quickly worn out and must be replaced. The use of leather for making a check strap is of specialadvantage as it presents the strength and yet resiliency desirable for a quick and ready checking of the picker stick as the stick is thrown back and forth by the operations of throwing the shuttle across the loom and receiving the shuttle on its return.

Heretofore it has been customary to make such leather straps of a single layer of heavy leather whichhad its ends rigidly clamped in the form of a loop, or the loop was made in circular form with the ends permanently joined.

Various efforts and attempts have been made to increase the life and wear-resistance of such leather check straps, by wearing strips, by cut ting the leather in an arc form to present an inclined surface to the pickerstick at the ends of its reciprocating action, or otherwise. of these prior constructions, as far as I am informed, have been unsatisfactory in various re spects.

It is an object of my present invention -to improve the construction of a leather check strap,

to insure longer life and usefulness of the same, and to also provide a construction by a simple and economical method of manufacture, and which will also greatly facilitate the speedy conformation of the check strap-into a slanting or bevelled conformation where the picker stick engages the opposite ends of the loop in which such most portion in substantially original length, while permitting the upper portion to assume the inclined or bevelled conical-like form during the beating action of the picker stick to .and fro within the loop.

In carrying out my invention, I utilize a strip of leather suitable for this purpose which may But all .check strap is formed by maintaining the lowercheck strap is formed, and with the two edge 53 portions in the top or upper edge of the completed check strap.

Preferably also, I secure the folded surface together either by adhesive, by one or more sets or rows of stitches, or by rivets or the like, although during the subsequent use of the strap these fastenings may be worn thru or broken without detracting from the continued usefulness of the strap.

An important feature consists in the utilization of a double layer of heavy leather which is thus simply and automatically formed into a .mutually cooperating and reinforcing strap structure, with the contacting and reinforcing parts of substantially identically the same material, both folded portions -being from a single strip and,- hence, more nearly alike in fibre, strength, stretch, wear, and appearance than would be possible if formed from different hides, and, in addition, with the fold constituting a reinforcing substantially non-stretchable edge; while the opposite edge portion formed by the two free edges presents a yielding portion of the check strap which will readily be conformed into a slant or bevel to which the strap is quickly beaten by the reciprocating blows of the picker stick within the loop during use.

After the check strap is thus formed into a more or less bevelled picker stick-receiving form,

its wear is greatly increased as the picker stick then strikes against the check strap throughout the entire width, as will be readily appreciated. Thus, the inner layer takes the wear, while the outer reinforcing layer maintains its full strength, greatly increasing the life and usefulness of the check strap.

Further advantages, novel features, and my novel method of construction will be hereinafter more fully pointed out and claimed.

Referring to the drawing illustrating preferred embodiments of my improved check strap and the method of making same:

Fig. l is illustrative in diagrammatic form of a strip of material, preferably leather, of double thickness to that of the check strap intended to be made therefrom;

Fig. 2 isa view in perspective illustrating the material of Fig. 1 folded intothe double and mutually reinforcing construction;

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to that of Fig.2

showing one or more rows of stitching uniting the two folded portions;

Fig. 4 is a similar perspective view illustrating rivets or the like uniting the layers;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view partly in crossblank when the channel or groove is formed to" facilitate folding; and

Fig. 8 is a view of a circular check strap made in accordance with my invention.

Referring to Fig. l, I utilize a strip of suitable material, preferably leather, indicated generally at I, of suitable length for the length of the check strap to be made therefrom and of a width substantially equal to twice the width of the' check strap to be formed.

The width is sumcient to allow for the fold of the strip I along the dotted line, as indicated at 2, the check strap thus constituting two layers, with the'opposite edges 3 and 4 in contact, as shown in Figs. 2, 3. and 4, and with the fold or bottom portion 5 constituting the opposite edgeof the strap torthat of the two edges 3 and 4. Bolt slots 6-6 are cut preferably after the fold has been made. A groove or channel 33 may be formed lengthwise of the blank before folding, which facilitates the folding and also tends to keep the edges 3 and 4 in registry and prevents the sides of the folded strap from creeping.

Where leather is utilized for this purpose, as is preferred, I may and preferably will employ leather tanned with the hair left on the outer surface, as indicated at 1-1, folding the inner or flesh sides in contact with each other. I may also coat the surface of the blank I on the flesh side to be folded with adhesive, and thereupon fold the blank as shown in Fig. 2 and subject the same to suitable pressure so that the two layers will be united, with the edges 3 and 4substantially in registry with each other, constituting the upper edge of the strip and with the folded part 5 at the opposite, lower, or bottom edge. Thereupon, the double folded strap thus formed may be further united, if desired, by rows of stitching I0 and II, as shown in Fig. 3; or I may unite the folded layers by rivets l4-l4, as illustrated in Fig. 4, or by partial rows of stitching.

The process preferably employed, therefore, is tofirst prepare a strip of material, such as leather, of suitable width to equal slightly more than double the width of the completed check strap to allow for a fold along the middle line, as above explained, coat the flesh side of the blank I with adhesive, where it is desired to so unite the two surfaces, and fold the blank together along the medial longitudinal line, where the groove or channel has been preferably formed.

Thus, there is presented a check strap of double thickness with one layer reinforcing the other, and with the bottom or fold constituting a rigid, substantially non-stretching edge, with the opposite edge portion constituting a stretchable edge, so that the top part may be quickly beaten into a bevelled form where the picker stick strikes the same during its reciprocation in a loom after the check is in loop form.

While the check strap is thus formed and may be considered commercially complete, I prefer to add additional retaining means, such for example, as one or more lines of stitching, rivets, or the like; but as above noted, these fastenings, as well as the adhesive, if used, may be broken or worn thru without detracting from the usef lness of the check strap after the same has been in service in the loom and has assumed the bevelled shape to which it is conformed by the beating action of the picker stick.

With the check strap thus completed, it is interchangeable when first applied to the bracket of the loom retaining same, either side being suitable for the inner wear-taking.portion and, conversely, either side being suitable for the outer reinforcing portion. After the strap is in the loom and beaten into the bevelled contour of Fig. 6 it cannot be again reversed.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated in diagrammatic form a double construction wherein a rigid clamping bolt ii is threaded thru the bolt slots 6 after the check strap has been made in loop form, with the head 16 of the bolt l5 one side and the nut ll threaded onto the bolt IS in contact with a bracket 20 on the loom so as to hold the looped check strap rigidly at this point.

- 0n the opposite side is usually applied a friction clamp comprising a pair of members 2| and 22 spaced slightly from each other, and an ad- Justabie member 23 movable toward or from the fixed members ii and 22 and from which the check strap is threaded so as to provide friction on the side opposite the rigid bolt l5. A picker stick 25 reciprocate's within the loop thus formed and during its reciprocation will quickly beat out the top of the check strap comprising the edges 3 and 4 into a bevel substantially equal to that which the picker stick 25 is moved during its reciprocations, thus giving a full length contact as noted at 30, Fig. 6, widthwise of the strap where the picker stick contacts.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated the picker stick at the extreme limit at the right of its line of travel where the check strap is moved somewhat slightly thru the friction clamp members, and on the return of the picker stick to the opposite side the check strap will again be moved in an opposite direction slightly thru the friction clamp members, this line of travel being somewhat overdrawn in the picker for the sake of clearness.

With the check strap thus made in double folded construction, the inner layer is the wearing surface and the outer layer the reinforcing portion; while the folded edge 5 is the substantially non-stretching edge and the opposite is the stretchable edge.

It will thus be appreciated that I have by a novel, simple, economical, and efficient method developed an improved wear-resisting check strap construction which will greatly increase the life and serviceability of the check strap, while also facilitating the conformation of the check strap into the bevelled form desirable during use to quickly give a full line contact between the picker stick and check strap and with the inner layer to take up the wear, and the outer layer as a reinforcing element to preserve the strength desirable in articles of this class.

Furthermore, the double layer will work efficiently thru the friction clamp and in the checking-capacity desired even though the adhesive bond or the mechanical fastening elements originally uniting the two layers are broken because of the strength and rigidity afforded by the folded portion 5.

Furthermore, by having both layers of the same strip or portion of leather, the two layers wear more uniformly, evenly, and satisfactorily than would be possible with two separate leather strips, which latter would be of different texture, fibre, and would lack the vital feature of the strength and substantially non-stretchability provided by the folded portion 5, as will be readily appreciated to those skilled in this art.

In order to facilitate the folding of thetwo longitudinal portions of the blank mm the reinforced check strap structure, I find it is desirable to groove or channel the middle portion of the blank longitudinally along the line 2, as shown at 33 in Fig. '7. .Thereupon, the two sides of the blank are folded and the contacting faces will fit more smoothly and closely without unduly stretching the fibres of the leather alon the folded edge and give a better wearing folded edge structure, while still retaining ample strength in the fold 5 to be substantially stretchresistant compared with the opposite edges 3 and 4.

Referring to Fig. 8, I have illustrated my invention as applied to a oontinuous'check strap 35 of substantially circular form, it being necessary in certain types of looms to provide a check strap of this continuous contour, which can be readily formed by my double or folded process,

- producing a continuous check strap with the the middleline', thus giving a solid ring-like member.

Instead of setting the stitching, such for example as shown at l0 and I3, Fig. 3, continuously, I may apply the stitching in a series of interrupted rows such as indicated at 4|, 4|, Fig. 4, and 42, 42, it being mainly important to have these fastenings to hold the folded layers in contact when shipped and first applied to the looms, and particularly at the bolt strap ends so that the two layers will be easily and evenly clamped together, as willbe readily appreciated.

I claim:

' 1. A check strap of the kind described, comprising a leather blank of twice the width of the strap, folded lengthwise and constituting a wearresistant layer, a reinforcing layer, and an integral mass uniting both layers along the bottom portion of the check strap to form a substantially non-stretching and reinforced edge.

2. A check strap of the kind described, comprising a leather blank double the width of the resultant check strap, said blank being folded on its lengthwise medial line, thereby consisting in a wear-resistant layer, a reinforcing layer, and an integral mass uniting both layers along the bottom portion of the check strap to form a substantially non-stretching edge, with the opposite edge constituting a stretchable portion whereby the check strap may be readily conformed with bevelled contacting surfaces for engagement with the picker stick.

MARK C; HOWARTH. 

